“But at the same time, for me, I want to be a Detroit Tiger. I’ve been in Detroit for four years, and we’ve had a great run. You know, with all the friendships you have on the team, you just want that to continue, so hopefully, that can.”

Scherzer is entering the final year of his contract, so the Tigers could sign him to a long-term deal, risk losing him in free agency or trade him now.

Coming off a 21-3 year that could net him a Cy Young Award, his value is higher than ever — in salary and trade terms.

Scherzer said he hasn’t had talks with the Tigers yet, but they could come this winter.

If the Tigers go the trade route — and he admits he doesn’t know if they will — Rosenthal wrote at foxsports.com that the Washington Nationals are a good fit.

Their GM, Mike Rizzo, drafted Scherzer for Arizona in 2006, and they have arms to trade.

“The Tigers’ plans for Scherzer are not clear,” Rosenthal wrote. “At the very least, sources say, they are in the ‘listening, not shopping mode.’ Translation: ‘Willing to move, for the right return.’”

The right return could consist of a package that includes young, hard-throwing bullpen arms such as Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard.

Boras also represents Nationals superstars Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg and veterans Rafael Soriano and Jayson Werth, and that relationship could give the team a better chance of signing him long-term next off-season.

But trading Scherzer wouldn’t seem to give the Tigers a better chance of winning the World Series next season, trading proven players for packages doesn’t seem to be general manager Dave Dombrowski’s style and, Rosenthal writes, some rival executives are baffled that the Tigers would even consider trading Scherzer.

According to a prediction from Matt Swarz of mlbtraderumors.com, Scherzer, 29, will earn $13.6 million next year, in his final year of arbitration.

He led the major leagues in wins with 21 last season and finished in the American League’s top five for ERA, WHIP, innings pitched and strikeouts.